Rains lashed several parts of Tamil Nadu on Thursday influenced by cyclonic storm Nada, which is likely to cross the coast near Chennai in the early hours of Friday. Many parts of the state were put on high alert as the state government and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) prepared ahead of the cyclonic storm.

According to an update by Skymet Weather, Chennai is likely to recieve more rainfall and thundershowers, even as India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that the cyclonic storm was weakening.

According to ANI, the coastal town of Rameshwaram witnessed heavy rainfall on Thursday, however, rains are likely to continue on Friday as well.

The IMD had advised fishermen not to venture into the sea along and off Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts from the evening of 30 November onwards. According to ANI, five fishermen from Tamil Nadu were trapped mid-sea after their boats got damaged, and were rescued by the Sri Lankan Navy.

5 fishermen from Tamil Nadu, who were trapped in mid-sea after their boats got damaged, rescued by Srilankan Navy.

In view of development of cyclone, the NDRF positioned six teams near the coasts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. The NDRF said that although with gradual weakening of cyclone, the threat of flooding was unlikely, but it was prepared with its teams as a precautionary measure.

Cyclone Nada. MeT Department

Nada is now seen as a weak depression that lay centred over 290 km south-southeast of Chennai and 210 km southeast of Puducherry. According to the weather bulletin, Nada is expected to weaken further gradually into a depression and cross the north Tamil Nadu coast, south of Cuddalore by early Friday, MeT said.

"The system is very likely to continue to move west-northwestward, weaken further gradually into a depression and cross north Tamil Nadu coast between Vedaranniyam and Puducherry, south of Cuddalore by early Friday," the weather department said.

Following this, the Tamil Nadu state government said that all precautionary measures have been taken by district administrations to handle any eventuality, as the IMD has predicted moderate to light rainfall at most places but has issued a warning that heavy to very heavy rainfall may occur over Tamil Nadu and Puducherry during the next 48 hours.

"All the 32 revenue districts including 13 coastal districts are being monitored continuously. The district administrations are fully prepared to handle any eventuality," said Gagandeep Singh Bedi, agricultural production commissioner and secretary.

State Revenue Minister RB Udaya Kumar said, "Be it heavy rains (which is expected) and gusty winds, all preparations are on." He said during heavy winds power lines will be needing more attention and the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation is fully prepared to tackle the situation.

He said other preparations like setting up common kitchens to cater to the needs of people in relief centres and deployment of NDRF and the State Disaster Response Fund teams were in place in coastal districts including Cuddalore, Nagapattinam and Chennai.

The IMD had first issued a warning on 27 November predicting that Nada would hit Tamil Nadu coast on 29 November. This is the second cyclone in the Bay of Bengal in the last two months. Cyclone Kyant occurred in the last week of October, but did not make a landfall.